UK farm groups warn supply chains not to pass carbon costs onto farmers without fair payment

A coalition of UK farming and land-based bodies has warned that retailers and processors must not offload the cost of carbon reduction onto farmers without fair payment. The groups, led by Scottish Land & Estates and the Central Association for Agricultural Valuers, published an open letter calling for transparent carbon insetting agreements that respect farmers' data rights and provide separate payment for carbon outcomes. The letter targets carbon insetting, where buyers claim emissions reductions achieved by farmers within their own supply chains. The coalition says farmers need informed consent, credible monitoring, and clear ownership of their data and unsold carbon outcomes. They also want contracts to include dispute resolution and to reflect the separate legal frameworks in Scotland and Wales. The message is clear: decarbonisation cannot be a one-way cost transfer down the supply chain.